The Valley’s 2023-2024 school year is right around the corner and registration for the next year needs to be submitted by Monday, March 6. To make students’ futures a success, they are advised to sign up for classes they enjoy and classes that will help them figure out or pursue their career path.
When choosing classes, students must include courses required for graduation: these include four credits in English and math and three credits in social studies and science.
“Our most popular classes are definitely going to be health sciences because everyone is looking to become a nurse and an assistant. So we have Foundations of Health Science, Health Science 1, and Health Science 2. In our horticulture and agriculture building, I would have to say Animal Science, Animal Science 1, AG Mechanics 1, AG Mechanics 2, and Horticulture 1 are our most popular ones as well. Culinary is a big popular one,” Washington said.
Going from high school to the workforce can be a big jump, but having CTE classes can prepare you for the workforce and help students understand the experience of working in specific fields. If students are worried about the end-of-course test, not all of the CTE classes have a required state-made exam. Some have teacher made exams that can be exempted.
“Regardless of what you plan, the goal is to obtain a career. So, with career and technical education, which is what CTE stands for, we give you that exposure to what a career could eventually be like before you actually graduate high school,” Career Development Coordinator Melissa Washington said.
Students should take classes for future careers that spark interest. Students should keep in mind that there are classes that can help students figure out what they want to do for a future career and to expand their knowledge and curriculum learned.
“I’d say our business and marketing department [we offer] get a little bit unknown. Like Python Programming, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Adobe Visuals, which are popular. Aviation and aerospace. Firefighter.,” Washington said.
Whether students choose to go to college, join the military, or go straight into the workforce, they have many opportunities for what classes they could take.
“For the 23-24 school year there will be two new social studies classes. One is economics and personal finance and the other is civil literacy. There was another civics class, but that one just changed names. Next year, [the seniors will have to take] economics and personal finance. They consider the other civics your civic one and now it will be economical and personal finance,” counselor Elaine Berton said.
Starting 2023-2024 school year, seniors are required to take economics and personal finance. Seniors for the 2024 school year would have taken civics and economics their sophomore year, but there will be a necessity to take the specific civics for the 2024 year.
CTE classes and South Piedmont Community College(SPCC) offer an education program that pinpoints a specific career for people who want to have a more in-depth education on the topic that interests them.
“A lot of our Gen Ed classes would transfer to classes. There are even CTE courses [at South Piedmont Community College], but you have to be careful because they might not weigh as heavily. They might not give you that 5.0 because they are only worth one credit for the college,” Berton said.
For the class of 2024, students will be choosing their classes for senior year which gives them some advantages.
“I am not as worried about picking alternate classes since I have taken most of the classes I have wanted to take already. I am still going to turn in my paper early to be safe, but I am not as worried,” junior Brooklyn Radman said.
To pick classes, students need to fill out the colored paper given out during STRIVE and go to Powerschool to jot down the classes to give to a teacher. If help is needed to fill out the form, ask the counselor assigned to the designated last name.
“My interest in my career has changed. Like, I used to want to be an interior designer, and I do not want to go down that path anymore. I was geared towards CTE classes in my freshman year, but now I’m more geared towards AP because I want to raise my GPA and they are fun while also being more engaging for me,” Radman said.
Final student schedules will be released via Powerschool in August.